Inhaler container



E. H.TOMPKIN$ El AL INHALER gom'uman Filed larch 21, 1940 Sept. 29, 1942.

INVENTOR5 Emerson H.711

ins Hoffman 'ITORNEY BY Allan L.

Patented Sept. 29, 1942 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INHALER CONTAINER Application March 21, 1940, Serial No. 325,176

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of inhaler containers and particularly to an inhaler of the type using a volatile inhalent saturated in a wad, disposed within the container and adapted to be carried around in the users pocket. This inhaler container is an improvement over a prior Patent No. 2,191,016 of Allen C. I-Iofiman as the sole inventor.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an inhaler container having the air intake and outlet openings at the same end of the device, which construction requires only the use of a relatively short single cap for sealing the device.

A further object of the invention resides particularly in the manner in which an imperforated tube is assembled and retained within the body structure and serving as an exhaust means for the inhaler.

A still further object is to make an inhaler container of neat appearance, simple and inexpensive in construction, easily assembled and designed to be carried in the vest pocket or the handbag for immediate use.

The invention will be better understood from the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing certain preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal vertical sectional view through a container on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lower end of the container taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1 on a plane transverse to the sectional plane of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a prospective view of the sealing cap of the container.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views; the numeral It) indicates generally a hollow container shell comprising an outside tubular body H, a reduced shorter section I2, having an intermediate threaded portion I3 there between. The upper end of the container shell is formed with a reduced nozzle end I4 joined to the intermediate section [2 by a transverse shoulder 15. The apical end of the nozzle I4 is provided with an exit opening l6 surrounded by a sleeve ll formed as an integral drifted portion of the nozzle end [4. Intake openings I8 are provided in the lower part of the nozzle end adjacent to the shoulder [5. The container shell II is initially formed with its lower end opened and is provided with an inwardly rolled stop bead IS a short distance from the end thereof.

Assembled concentrically within the container shell and extending substantially the entire length thereof is a cylindrical imperforated longitudinal tube 20 serving as an exhaust means for the device. The upper end of the tube is telescopically fitted about the sleeve ll of the nozzle l4 and before assembly in order to provide a means for holding a volatile substance, a wad of material such as cotton batting or the like, is wrapped around the tube 20 as shown in dotand-dash outline in Fig. 1 and indicated by the numeral 2!. The tube 20 and supported wad 2| are held in place by a cup-shaped end cap 22 forced into the open end of the body II in an inverted manner to a position where it engages the rib I9 as a stop. The cap 22 is permanently held in place by the inwardly rolled or beaded end 23 of the body I I. Attention is called to the fact that the inner extremity of the rolled bead 23 is extended a noticeable distance upwardly within the inside of the inverted cap 22. This construction is resorted to in order to permit the extremity of the cap wall to be tightly embraced within the confines of the bead 23 and is designed to create a leak-proof seal between the cap 22 and body ll without the need of a compressible washer and to prevent loss of any volatile fumes when the device is not in use.

A supporting rib 24 is formed upwardly out of the crown portion of the end cap 22 and serves as a means for holding the tube 20 in assembled position. The rib 24 is preferably dome-shaped in cross section so that only the apical end of the rib bears at two points against the adjacent end of the tube 20; thus allowing for two opposed air passages entering into the tube from the lower end all as best shown in Fig. 2, and precludes the necessity of having to slot or pierce the Walls of the tube to provide for an air intake passage.

For closing the container, when not in use, a closure cap 25 is provided having a reduced end 25 somewhat conforming in shape to the nozzle end M of the container shell. The lower part of the cap 25 is provided with an enlarged section 21 that is adapted to telescopically fit over the intermediate reduced section l2 of the container shell and terminates in a lower threaded portion 28 for detachable engagement with the threads l3 of the body II.

Between the reduced end 26 of the cap and the enlarged section 21 provision is made for a transverse shoulder 29 and a bead 30 expanded outwardly beyond the section 21 and providing for an interior recess within which is accommodated a sealing gasket 3|. When the cap 25 is threaded home upon the body shell, it will be apparent that the sealing gasket will be compressed between the shoulders 29 and I5 in such a manner as to efiect a single sealing medium for both the intake and outlet openings.

In the illustration of this inhaler device a cotton wad 2! is shown as the vehicle for the in haler material which in this case would be of liquid form and applied by a dropper or similar means through any one of the intake openings I 8. It is further conceivable that in place of a saturated cotton wad, an inhalent of a solid material of a granular or compact tubular form could be loaded into the container before the assembly of the end cap 22, if such is desired.

It will be apparent that, while there are employed certain details of construction for the purpose of adequately disclosing the invention, various changes or modifications of the construction herein shown and described may be made within the scope of the appended claims with out departing from the spirit of this invention or sacrificing its advantages.

What I claim is:

1. An inhaler device comprising a container shell having a reduced closed end and an open opposite end, the closed end having a discharge opening with an inwardly disposed sleeve surrounding said opening, a longitudinal tube having one end telescope over said sleeve to be held in central position within said shell, a cap closing the open end of said container, and a single longitudinal rib formed inwardly of said cap for engagement against the adjacent end of said tube to maintain the latter in assembled position and allow for the maximum intake passage into the adjacent end of the tube.

2. An inhaler device comprising a container shell having a reduced closed end and an open opposite end, the closed end having a discharge opening with an inwardly disposed sleeve surrounding said opening, a longitudinal tube having one end telescoped about said sleeve for holding the same in a substantially central position within said shell, a cup shaped cap secured in an inverted position in the open end of said shell as a sealing means, and a single longitudinal rib member formed inwardly from the crown portion of said cap and engaged transversally against the adjacent end of said tube as a means to retain a longitudinal tube having one end frictionally telescoped about said sleeve for holding the same in a substantially central position within said shell, a cup shaped cap assembled in an inverted position within the open end of said shell, the open end of said shell being formed about the open end of said cap for anchoring the cap in assembled position and efiecting an air tight seal there between, a single longitudinal rib formed inwardly of the crown portion of said cap and capacitated to transversally engage against the adjacent end of said tube and retain the same in assembled position relative to said sleeve, said rib being arcuate shape in cross section whereby the end of the tube will be supported at two opposite points and allow for a split opening into that end of said tube.

4. An inhaler device comprising a tubular container shell having a reduced section with a transverse shoulder there between, said reduced section having intake openings adjacent to said shoulder and terminating in a tapering nozzle end with a discharge opening, a sleeve member drifted inwardly from the nozzle end and surrounding said discharge opening, a longitudinal imperforate tube fitted about said sleeve as a means for retaining and centralizing said tube within said container shell, a circumferential rib formed inwardly in said shell adjacent its open end, a cap means assembled in an inverted manner into the open end of said shell and against said rib as a stop, and means formed in the crown portion of said cap for engaging against the adjacent end of said central tube and allowing for an open passageway into that end of the tube.

5. An inhaler device comprising a tubular container shell having a reduced section with a transverse shoulder there between, said reduced section having intake openings adjacent said shoulder and terminating in a tapering nozzle end with a discharge opening, a sleeve member drifted inwardly from the nozzle end and surrounding said discharge opening, a longitudinal imperforate tube fitted about said sleeve as a means for retaining and centralizing said tube within said container shell, a cup shaped cap assembled in an inverted manner into the open end of said container shell, the open end of said shell being formed or spun about the open end of said cap for permanent assembly and effecting an air tight seal there between, a projection formed outwardly of the crown portion of said cap and supporting the adjacent end of said tube without materially aifecting the area of the opening into that end of said tube, a closure cover having detachable engagement with said tubular shell and provided with an intermediate shoulder and an expanded recess, and a sealing washer carried in said recess and adapted to be compressed between said container and cover shoulders to hermetically seal the device.

EMERSON H. TOMPKINS. ALLAN C. HOFFMAN. 

